Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Greater New Orleans

Change Region

comments

New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson has found a comfortable emotional place

Ryan Anderson Tears up

Ryan Anderson tears up and tries to find composure talking about the suicide of his girlfriend,Gia Allemand, on Pelicans media day in the newly-constructed practice facility. He is helping to start a foundation in her honor. (Photo by Julia Kumari Drapkin, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

Unless you've lived through the horrifying experience, it's
impossible to know the depths of anguish, or the extent of grief.

In August, New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson lost
his soulmate, Gia Allemand, when she took her own life.

As basketball season rolled around at October's outset,
Anderson was still visibly bearing the anxiety, evidenced by an emotional
first-day interview session during which Anderson's tears overwhelmed his
words.

He dutifully plodded along. Basketball is what he does, the
gift he possesses.

The catharsis of returning to the loving embrace of his
Pelicans' family, who did what they could to assuage his sorrow, helped
Anderson move along his earthly path despite the void he must still feel in his
heart.

"These guys," Anderson said this week, "are amazing."

Opening day arrived on Oct. 30, and Anderson discovered he'd
sustained a chip fracture in his right second toe, a freakish injury that had
occurred in a routine practice leading up to the Pelicans' first regular season
game against the Indiana Pacers.

Prognosis: he'd be out of action for one to three weeks.

A man of solid Christian faith, Anderson likely has often taken
solace in the phrase, "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

He concentrated for three weeks on practically nothing other
than doing what he could to get himself healed, channeling all his energies,
and most of his thoughts, to re-joining his brothers on the court.

That allowed him to divert his attention away from the daily
sorrow he carries and locate a point on his emotional compass where he could
find a comfortable place.

Since he made his season debut against the Philadelphia
76ers on Nov. 16, the Pelicans have put together a pair of three-game winning
streaks and were showing signs of congealing into a team that could become
relevant in a post-season conversation.

That, of course, was before second-year power forward
Anthony Davis broke his left hand last Sunday night against the New York
Knicks, changing the Pelicans' dynamic in the starting lineup and on the bench
and likely silencing playoff speculation for now.

"It's hard sitting out, especially at the beginning of the
season," Anderson said. "It's hard to watch the guys, a fairly new group,
pulling together and figuring out what works on the court, then all of a sudden
I get added to the mix. Luckily we played a ton this summer. We were together a
lot on the court. I think it's been a pretty easy adjustment. And I think it
will be with Anthony comes back. It'll be right back to where we need to be."

Anderson is now the starting power forward, who at times
will slide into the center position.

Through Friday night's game against the Oklahoma City
Thunder, Anderson was averaging a career-high 21.7.

In consecutive games against the Knicks and Bulls, Anderson
made seven 3-point shots for the first time in his career, matching his career
high with 36 points against Chicago after putting in 31 against New York.

Anderson had 18 points and 14 rebounds in the three-point
loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

He's shooting a ridiculous 50 percent from beyond the
3-point line.

Anderson played 56 ½ minutes in the 3 OT win over the Bulls,
the most he's ever logged in a game.

"It was a really fun game to be a part of," Anderson said,
"and probably the most heart-felt win as a team I've ever been a part of. It
was a memorable one. And it was fun."

Pelicans coach Monty Williams has cast a vigilant and understanding
eye on Anderson's emotional well-being this season, and also feels as though the
three-week injury at the outset was likely fortuitous.

"I think anything that gives him a chance to decompress is
helpful for him," Williams said. "You just don't move past what's happened to
him. Everybody wants to rely on the notion that basketball can be a release.

"But I think that's a bit overstated. What he's gone through
is going to take maybe years to get by him. So those three weeks may have been
beneficial for him to just take a break and flush his mind a bit. You don't
have to think about basketball as much. I think it's been helpful for him.

"When you're hurt, I don't care what injury you have, that
becomes top priority because you're always thinking about the injury. You go to
sleep thinking about how it's going to feel in the morning. You wake up, and
the first thing you do is you grab it, or feel it. I'm sure that took top
priority over everything."

Each time Anderson goes on the court, he brushes both hands
over the No. 33 on his chest – he wears that number because the Bible tells us it
is the age of Jesus Christ at the time of his crucifixion – and looks toward
the heavens. It's something Anderson has always done; now he's obviously
looking skyward for an additional reason.

Anderson's says what he wants to do now is contribute what
he can to assist the comrades who continue to help him through unspeakable
tragedy.

"I hope we don't go into triple overtime every game from
here on out," Anderson said, smiling. "But whatever I've got to do . . . I know
all the guys would say the same thing; 'Whatever I've got to do to win.' That's
the kind of effort and heart this team has. It's a fun team to play for."